Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

H. B. & J. N. YOUNG.

THILL COUPLING.

No. 585,148. Patented June 22, 1897.

llllllllllllllll-fllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllull IIIIIIIIIIHIH UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

HUMPHREY BAILE YOUNG AND JOHN NORMAN YOUNG, OF BROOKVILLE, CANADA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-lIALF .TO LEWIS WARNER OAGITEY, OF

PAINESVILLE, OHIO.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,148, dated June 22, 1897. Application filed April 19, 1897. $erial No. 682,817. (No model.) Patented in Canada February 5, 1897, No. 54,878.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, I-IUMPHREY BAILE YOUNG and JOHN NORMAN YOUNG, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 5 Brockville, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplings, (for which we have obtained Canadian Patent No. 54,878, dated February 5, 1897;)

I and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanyr ing drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings, and seeks to provide a coup ling which will overcome all rattling and which can be easily and quickly manipulated to permit the interchanging of a pole and shafts. These objects we attain by the use of the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings; and the invention consists in certain novel features of the same which will be hereinafter described and claimed. I

In the drawings just referred to, Figure 1 is a side view of a thill-coupling embodying our invention, showing it closed in full lines and open in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the several parts detached, but in their proper relative positions.

3 5 The axle Ais of the usual construction and forms no part of our invention. A clip B is fitted over the same and extends downward through a stationary clamp member O, which it secures rigidly to the axle. This clamp member 0 consists of a short metallic bar having its front end formed into a horizontal conical socket D and its rear end turned inward to form a lateral ear E. Depending from the under side of this clamp member and just beneath the axle is a perforated lug or sleeve F, in which the locking-cam is journaled, as will be presently more particularly described. To the ear E is pivoted the rear end of a swinging clamp member G, which has its front end formed into a horizontal conical socket H of the same size and configuration as the socket D and having its base opposed to and parallel with the base of the said socket D. The draw-iron I on the end of the shaft or pole of the vehicle is provided at its extremity with the lateral conical projections J, adapted to enter the sockets of the clamp and be held thereby. A locking cam or lever K is provided with a pivot-arm L, which is journaled in the bearing F on the stationary member of the clamp and extends transversely across the two members of the clamp below the same. The cam or lever proper is on the inner end of the said pivotarm and has its lower portion shaped to present a convenient handle M for the operation of the device, while its upper end is adapted to bear against the edge of swinging member of the clamp and against the iron 011 the bottom of the axle.

Such being the construction and arrangement of the several parts of the device the operation of the same will be readily understood. When it is desired to attach a pole or shafts to the axle, the members of the clamp are separated, as shown most clearly in dot- 1 ted lines in Fig. 2, and the end of the drawiron is inserted between the members of the clamp in position to be engaged by the socketed ends of the same, after which the swinging clamp member is swung home and the locking-lever turned down, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. As the locking-lever is turned downward its upper end bears against the edge of swinging clamp member and forces the same firmly toward and against the drawiron, so as to securely lock the same within the clamp. To release the shaft or pole, the operation is reversed.

It is thought the advantages of the device will be readily appreciated from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. The thill-iron is securely clamped, so that rattling of the same is impossible. To permit the removal of the shafts or the pole, it is necessary merely to turn down the locking-lever and open the clamp. No nuts, bolts, or other parts are removed, and therefore there is no danger of the loss of any parts.

The device is extremely simple in construction and may be easily manipulated.

Having thus described our invention, wb at we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of a stationary clamp member secured on the axle and provided at its rear end with a lateral ear and having a sleeve on its bottom, a swinging" clamp member pivoted on said lateral ear, the two members having sockets in their front ends to receive and hold the thill-iron, and a lockinglcver bearing againstthe edge of the swinging member and provided with a pivot-arm journaled in the sleeve on the bottom of the stationary member.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa- 15 'LUIGS in presence of two witnesses.

HUMPIIREY BAILE YOUNG. JOHN NORMAN YOUNG.

-\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM JOHN ILizELwooD, .Lmns ANDERSON. 

